Of Bad Hair and Boybands
by CreativePunk77
Summary: Set just before and during the beginning of Series Three. After becoming obsessed with the boyband, East 17, Harvey decides to change his hairstyle and comes to regret it. Harvey/Ingrid.


**I wanted to do a fic regarding Harvey's hair in Series Three, as it is awful. Lines in Bold are taken from the East 17 song.**

* * *

 **OF BAD HAIR AND BOYBANDS**

' **Baby if you've got to go away,  
Don't think I can take the pain,  
Won't you stay another day….  
Oh, don't leave me alone like this,  
Don't you say it's the final kiss,  
Oh, won't you stay another day…'  
**

"Harvey! Would you turn that racket down?!"

Harvey Hunter opened his eyes, ceasing his head swaying. The music continued on, as did Lloyd's shouting and pounding of the wall. Harvey rolled his eyes and drawled, audible enough for his elder brother to hear.

"Nope. My room, I can do what I want."

Smirking as the banging increased, Harvey flung his head back and whined noisily:

"MUM! LLOYD'S ANNOYING ME!"

"Lloyd! Don't antagonise your brother! Now come down for dinner!"

Harvey switched the radio off, then heaved himself to his feet, shuffling onto the landing. He stuck his tongue out at Lloyd's retreating back, before following him down the stairs. Padding into the kitchen, Harvey took his seat, rolling his eyes when his mother scolded him.

"Sweetie, please lower your music the next time you play it. There are other people in this house, you know."

Lloyd flung his fork down in frustration. "See?! Now you've heard it from me _and_ Mum! No one wants to listen to that racket!"

Harvey glared daggers at his older brother, snarling: "Just cause you can't appreciate _good music."_

"Good?! Boyband music is _god awful!_ You used to hate that type of music!"

Mrs Hunter sighed, murmuring: "Boys, please. No confrontations at the dinner table. And Lloyd, there is no reason to jump down your brother's throat like that. If he likes that sort of music, then that is fine. When I was your age, I used to like the numerous boybands out there."

Lloyd groaned. "But Mum, you're _female_! _H is male!"_

Harvey snorted, clapping his hands sarcastically. "Well done Einstein, yes I do have a dick."

"Harvey!"

"Sorry, Mum."

"Are you implying that because Harvey is male, he should be into music more accepted for his gender? And that females _have_ to like boybands?"

The three Hunters whipped their heads round to the quiet voice who had spoken up. Dinah was gazing intently at Lloyd, daring him to fight back against her. Knowing that he was beaten, Lloyd sighed, picking up his fork again and stirring his food around the plate.

"No, Di. I'm sorry I ever brought this up. Look, H. Just don't play your music so loud that the walls shake. Ok?"

Harvey smiled, his in the midst of puberty features, lighting up. "Alright…. but I get to ride shotgun the next time we're in the car."

" _Really?..._ Fine, it's a deal."

Harvey smirked in triumph, then winked at his older sister. "Cheers Di, it's nice to know that at least _one_ of my siblings has my back." Lloyd glowered heatedly as Dinah smiled.

"You're welcome, Harvey. I don't mind that you like that sort of music. At the Children's Home, I used to get gyp for favouring classical music."

The youngest Hunter shook his head sadly, thinking that receiving abuse over such a triviality, was pathetic. Finishing off his dinner, he muttered at his brother:

"Pleasure doing business with ya."

His face broke out into a grin at Lloyd's expression. _It was always fun to rile him up!_ Harvey stuck his dirty cutlery and plate into the dishwasher, then retreated up to his bedroom.

* * *

Harvey flopped onto his bed, glancing round at his newly moved into room. Though he had preferred the bedroom at their previous home, compared to his first bedroom, he hadn't liked sharing with Lloyd.

' _Not that L was THERE half the time, stuck in a coma because of some stupid WASP.'_

 _This_ bedroom was perfect. It was all to himself, just like his first bedroom had been, and was vaster in size compared to the other two.

' _I hope we don't move again. I'm thirteen and this is the THIRD house we've lived in. I actually want to get settled.'_

He also preferred this house to the previous one as the distance between their old neighborhood, the one where the rest of SPLAT still resided, and their house now, was shorter. It worked well for Ian, Mandy and Ingrid as their train journey wouldn't be as lengthy as when the Hunters lived in the village near the BRC.

' _Ah the BRC, where the MARVELLOUS HEADMASTER was hiding out. I'm glad he's gone. Stupid old creep trying to ruin our lives!'_

Snorting as he recalled the Headmaster's 'death', Harvey's hand snaked out to the radio, hitting the play button. The CD whirred and East 17 blasted out, destroying the silence that had settled in the room. Harvey closed his eyes, smirking when he heard Lloyd ranting and raving downstairs.

* * *

Later that night, Harvey was hunched over his laptop, fingers furiously pounding the keyboard. Some random dickheadon Facebook had called him a ' _faggot'_ for displaying a liking for boyband music. Harvey had seethed at this, indicating to the abuser that he was in a relationship with a girl and that it was a free country, _he could like whatever damn music he pleased._

Smirking smugly as the dickhead merely viewed the message before logging off, Harvey opened up another tab. His fingers rested on the keys as he pondered. For _months,_ Harvey had been sick of his hair. Though not a particular fan of the colour, it was the style that aggravated him.

The bowl-like cut resulted in him appearing younger than his years and Harvey already had enough trouble with his age being taken seriously, due to his height. But the source of his frustrations, was his fringe.

So many times it had clouded his vision. And Harvey had spent an uncountable number of times brushing his fringe back with an exasperated grunt. When he had hit thirteen, he had vowed to change his hairstyle but now, he was unsure of what he actually wanted.

Harvey typed in a few words, then hit the Enter button, search results pinging up instantaneously. His gaze zoomed in on the first result, manipulating the mouse to hover over it. One click later and Harvey was viewing hairstyles that caused a grin to slide onto his round face.

Quickly taking a snap of the chosen hairstyle on his phone, Harvey turned off his laptop, shutting the lid when the screen had darkened. He tugged on a pair of pyjamas, then snuggled under the covers, arranging a plan for tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning, Harvey awoke bright and early. Within half an hour, he had dressed for the day and consumed his breakfast. After brushing his teeth, he put on his shoes and jacket, then left the house, hollering out his good-byes. Harvey shoved his hands into his jean pockets, whistling a merry tune as he passed the University, which Dinah was _obsessed_ with.

' _Just like me with East 17! My new haircut is going to be RADICAL!'_

Chuckling, Harvey soon came across his destination. Entering the fancy barbers, he seated himself, then outlined what he wanted, whipping out his phone to aid with the visuals.

Once the barber had assured him that he knew what to do, Harvey pocketed his phone, then leant his head back, closing his eyes. He could not _WAIT_ to show off his new hairstyle to his family and SPLAT!

* * *

"Ta-Da! Well… _what do you think?"_

A stunned silence had settled on the Hunter family. The two adults were startled that their youngest child had replicated a hairstyle that had been out of date for _years_ and that he had obviously done it on a whim. They both guessed that he would soon come to regret it.

Dinah's eyes were wide, unable to stop herself from grimacing. The new hairstyle did not suit her little brother _at_ _all._ Though she thought of changing hairstyles as trivial, in this instance, she thought Harvey had made a massive mistake.

As soon as Harvey had strutted in, Lloyd had creased up into hysterical laughter. His brother looked so similar to a _90's boyband member!_ Lloyd's laughter had only died down when he realised that Harvey had been _aiming_ for that style, instead opting to shake his head in amusement.

Harvey observed his siblings and parents for a while before muttering:

"You think it's horrid, don't you?"

"No sweetie! It's just that…. Well…"

"What your mother is trying to say, son… is that…"

"It doesn't really suit you… _that_ _well…"_

"Oh, H! It's _bloody awful!"_

Harvey's posture had slumped at Dinah's comment, but upon hearing his older brother's crow, he sniffled, twirling a finger through his fair locks.

"You really think so, huh? Well… I like it! Maybe the others will too?"

The other occupant's expressions did not give him much hope. Harvey mumbled:

"Someone is _bound_ to like it! Yes, Ing-Ing will like it!"

Perking up at this statement which Harvey was convinced would be _true_ , he dashed off to the garden, wanting to kick the football around for a bit. In one week, he would unveil his new haircut to the rest of SPLAT and have heaps of praise about his choice hurled onto him.

* * *

 _How very wrong he was_.

* * *

Having decided to meet SPLAT at the cyber café, Harvey strolled in, beaming when he saw his friends and girlfriend. The last time he had seen them was a month ago at the fun fair a few towns over. Ian and Mandy hadn't changed much, but Harvey swore that Ingrid appeared taller. He gulped, hoping that she hadn't overtaken him in terms of height.

Harvey wandered over to his group who were oblivious to his presence, the five of them huddled around a computer, which a girl with a bandaged arm was currently controlling. Harvey also noticed a blond boy, who was shorter and younger than him, lingering by Dinah's side. Fortunately, he did not have to wait long as Ingrid cast a brief glance over her shoulder, her sudden exclamation causing everyone around her to jump.

"HARV-HARV!"

Harvey chuckled as Ingrid raced over to him, stumbling a bit as his girlfriend leapt onto him, wrapping her legs around his waist. Once he was sure that she was properly supported, he engulfed her soft lips in a sensual kiss, hands kneading her backside.

Thirty seconds later, they broke apart for air, Harvey setting his lover down. Ingrid entwined her fingers with his, her eyebrows knotting together when she observed his hairstyle.

"Harvey… what the hell is that thing on your head?"

As Ian and Lloyd guffawed with laughter, Harvey frowned. "My hair…."

He sighed, shoulders slumping. "Let me guess… you don't like it?"

"Oh, no! It's not that I don't like it…. I _hate_ it. What were you _thinking?!_ You look like you've just walked out of the 1990's!"

Ian gasped out through his guffaws. "Welcome to the twenty first century, Harv. God, it's horrible!"

Seeing that Harvey was upset, Mandy came forwards, speaking softly:

"I agree with the others. It does look really out of date and doesn't suit you, but at least you're going for a different look! They don't meant to be harsh, Harvey."

Eyeing Lloyd and Ian with a glare, Mandy was satisfied when the two boys backtracked, apologising for their laughter and comments. Harvey bit his lip as his eyes flickered between the unknown girl and boy. The girl smiled hesitantly at him, muttering:

"I'm Kate. And I broke my arm falling out of a tree before you ask."

Harvey winced, enfolding Ingrid to his chest with his arms. "I'm Harvey. I like East 17 so decided to style my hair like a boyband member, but obviously… no one else likes it."

Kate grinned. "My cousin was _obsessed_ with those guys when she was at secondary school! I don't think your hair is too bad, but then again, I don't know how it was like before."

Instantly, Lloyd withdrew his phone and waved it in Kate's face. Harvey blushed. No doubt his brother was showing a picture of _him._

' _Urgh, probably an embarrassing one as well. Thanks, L.'_

Kate chirped:

"Well I have to say, that haircut does make you look slightly older than the one you had before."

Harvey grinned, the blush evaporating from his cheeks. "Oh Kate! I could kiss you! OW!"

He hissed through his teeth as pain blossomed in his ribs. Glaring down at Ingrid, he voiced in a sharp tone:

"Ingrid, you know you're the only one for me."

Ingrid simply smirked, hand snaking down to palm her boyfriend's crotch. Yelping pathetically, Harvey struggled to concentrate as Dinah gestured to the boy standing next to her.

"This is Michael Dexter. His Dad is a Professor at the University. He's been showing me his Dad's files."

Michael smiled. "Hi, Harvey."

"H-Hi!"

He blushed as his voice squeaked at the end. Ian clasped his hands together. "Aww! Harvey's growing up!"

"Shut up man. Least I don't look like a chipmunk!"

Ian cocked an eyebrow as the others sniggered. "Chipmunk?"

Harvey's grin widened. "Yeah! Can someone put some music on?"

Kate affirmed that she would and pulled up a song on YouTube. Lloyd groaned as East 17 blasted out of the speakers.

"Oh GOD! Save me from the boy bands!"

Harvey cheered as he burst into song, swaying from side to side. Ingrid flung her arms around Harvey and joined in with the singing, not caring that everyone in the café was staring at them.

* * *

When they got back to the Hunter house that evening, Harvey was accosted by his furious mother. Before he could escape, his arm had been gripped painfully hard and he was yanked upstairs, crying for SPLAT and Michael to save him.

As the door slammed shut, the six children, distributed downstairs in the living room, shared anxious looks. Eventually, Ian piped up:

"Well, Harvey is done for. Die Hard, anyone?"

* * *

In his bedroom, Harvey wrung his hands, eyes lowered to the floor. The pounding indicated how angry his mother was and Harvey had no idea _why_ she was so livid. The sudden shout alerted him to what her anger was directed at.

" _THREE HUNDRED POUNDS!"_

Harvey jerked, a guilty expression imprinting onto his face. He didn't risk feigning ignorance or lying, as that would be asking for certain death. Instead, he mumbled:

"I-I-I wanted it done! And at the b-best place!"

Mrs Hunter halted her pacing and bellowed down at her cowering son. "YOU MAY HAVE WANTED A CHANGE, BUT SPENDING THREE HUNDRED POUNDS ON GETTING YOUR HAIR DONE IS A WASTE! _IT DOESN'T EVEN LOOK THAT GOOD!"_

Immediately, she regretted her words. Lowering her voice, she pulled her youngest child into a hug, murmuring:

"Harvey, I'm sorry. It's _your_ hair and I know you wanted to change it for ages. But you should have _told me_ how much it cost when you had the haircut. Not wait for me to get the bill. And does Dad know that you used his credit card to pay for it?"

"Y-Yeah, I told h-him straight a-away. I'll pay the money for it! I was g-going to anyway! I have three h-hundred pounds in my bank account!"

Mrs Hunter pulled away, smiling sadly at her tearful baby. "I know you do sweetie, and I'm glad that you were planning to pay the money for it. Just know that you won't be able to change your hair style for several months."

"Why?"

"As you're using up most of the money you currently have, you'll have to wait until you have enough money to afford a _decent_ haircut."

Harvey giggled weakly. "Yeah, I know you hate it. Alright, I'll keep this for a while. I won't grow to hate it, I know I'm going to have this hairstyle for _ages!"_

Mrs Hunter shook her head, whispering:

"You may change your mind, Harvey."

Harvey was adamant that he wouldn't, but a few days later, he _had_ changed his mind.

* * *

"Urgh! Why didn't anyone tell me that my hair looked awful?!"

"We _did,_ Harv-Harv! About a billion times!"

Harvey glanced up from the photographs he had been examining. "Oh yeah… babe, can we burn these?"

Ingrid smirked, snatching them from her boyfriend's hands. "No, I want to put them up on Facebook."

Harvey's eyes bugged. "No way. I am _not_ having this _monstrosity_ circling the Internet."

Ingrid giggled, cuddling up to her man. The photos were of their date two days ago. They had gone to a theme park for the day and Ingrid was delighted at how photo-genic they had been on Saturday. The photos consisted of them morphing their faces, but a couple were more relaxed and 'mushy' as the rest of SPLAT described them.

Ingrid jabbed her finger at one of the photographs. " _This_ is my favourite. We both look awesome!"

The pair were seated on a bench situated inside the fairground. Harvey was slouched, legs spread as he took up half the bench. Clad in brand new trainers, ripped jeans and a collared shirt, he was grinning broadly, sunglasses perched on the bridge of his nose. His parted hair stood out like a sore thumb.

Ingrid was snuggled into Harvey's side, plaited pigtails resting on her chest. Her fringe was clipped back, her own sunglasses covering her green eyes. Her smile was similar to Harvey's, her attire being a white t-shirt, white Converse and strappy denim overalls.

Harvey set the photograph aside, commenting: "Alright that one can go up, but the others we'll store away."

Once the rest of the photos were filed and stored, Harvey clambered to his feet, tugging Ingrid after him. Entering the kitchen, he mumbled:

"Mum? You were right. I hate my hair…. When can I have it changed?"

Mrs Hunter smirked, setting the damp plate down. "As I explained about your money situation, you can have it changed in a few months."

"How many?"

"Mmh, six or seven."

"Six or seven?! Oh man! I _hate_ this hair so much! Right, when I go out, I'm wearing a hat from now on."

Ingrid sniggered, leading Harvey out into the hall-way. "Come on Harv! I want to get ice cream! As you are low on funds, it's my treat!"

Harvey smiled, bending down slightly to kiss her on the nose. "Thanks babe. Let me just get a hat. Oh, this week couldn't get any worse. Stupid hair…."

* * *

The next day, the Army rolled in…


End file.
